Car-coupling device



Mode E A Q MORROW CAR COUPLINGDEVIGE.

No. 449,428. Patented Mar. 31, 1891,.

IZ VESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. EDlVARD A. MORROXV, OF CHESTER, ARKANSAS.

CAR-COUPLING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,423, dated March 311891. Application filed November 19,1890. serial No. 371,930. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. Monnow, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chester, in the county of Crawford and State ofArkansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pin andLink Lifters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to whichitappert-ains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in a new and improved pin and link lifter which isadapted to be attached to'the ends of cars using the common link-and-pin coupling and which will enable cars provided with the oldlinkand pin coupling to be coupled and uncoupled from the sides of thecars' or from their tops without going between them, thus at a minimumof cost doing away with all necessity for going between the ends of thecars in coupling or uncoupling them and preventing the accidents whichnow daily occur.

The great advantage of my invent-ion is that it is simple andinexpensive and can be applied to all cars now using the commonlinkand-pin coupling without making any change in the same, While it isthoroughly effective and practical in its operation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective frontview of the end of a car provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective view taken from the under side of the car, and Fig. 3 is asectional view taken on line w 00 of Fig. 3.

The same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring to the several parts by their des ignating-numerals, 1indicates the end of a car, which is shown provided with my invention, 2indicating the draw-head, and 3 and at indicating, respectively,theordinary link and pm.

My pin-raising attachment consists, first, of two horizontal levers 5 5,which are pivoted at the points 6 on the end of the car and havetheirinner ends curved up and then outward, with their inner slottedextremities pivotally connected with the upper end of the couplingpin.The outer ends of these lovers 5 project out beyond the sides of the carand are there rounded to form. convenient handles, and it will be seenthat by means of these levers the coupling-pin can be raised and loweredand the cars coupled and uncoupled from the sides of the car without theslightest necessity for going between them. When the outer ends ofeither of the levers 5 is pressed down to raise the coupling-pin, it canbe secured in that position by engaging it in a recessed catch-plate 7,these catch-plates being secured at the sides of the car ends, as shown.

To raise the pin from the top of the car, I employ a vertical lever 8,having an end ring at its upper end, and having its hooked lower endextended under the inner ends of the horizo'ntal levers 5, and it willbe seen that by pulling up this lever the inner ends of the levers 5will be raised and the coupling-pin thus drawn up, and the cars can bethus coupled and uncoupled from their tops as well as from their sides.lVhen the vertical lever 8 is raised, it can be secured in its liftedposition by engaging a stop 9, formed on it on the up per side of a bail10, through which the lever passes.

The link-adjuster consists of a plate- 11, which is bent up at itscenter at right angles and has its upper edge recessed, so that the linkwill rest upon it and will be held from sliding off to either side, thelower horizontal part of this plate being slotted longitudinally at 12to prevent the lower end of the coup ling-pin from interfering with itsmovements. The plate 11 is secured to the forward end of a rod 18, whichpasses through vertical slots 14:15, formed in the cross-pieces 16 onthe bottom of the car, and the rear part of the rod passes through abearing-roll 17, which is journaled at its ends in bearings on y thebottom of the car. A spiral spring 18 encircles the forward part of therod 13 between a fixed pin and washer 19 and the front cross-piece 16,and the spiral spring 20 encircles the rear part of the rod between thefixed pin 21 andthe rear side of the bearing-roll 17.

22 22 indicate curved levers, which are pivoted on the end of the car,as shown, with their slotted lower inner ends 22 passing around the rod13 near its outer end.

The coupling-link rests upon the top of the plate 11 at a point beyondthe center of its length, so that when the said plate is raised orlowered the outer end of the link will be raised or lowered, and this iseffected from the sides of the car by pressing down or raising the outerends of the levers 22. It will thus be seen that the outer end of thelink can be easily raised from the sides of the car to suit the heightof the draw-head of the approaching car, the vertical slots 14 15 in thecross-pieces 16 admitting of the vertical movement of the rod 13 and theplate 11, While the roll 17 turns on its end pivots to admit of thismovement.

The outer end of the link is raised or lowered from the top of the carby a vertical lever 23, which runs through staples or eyes on the end ofthe car and has its lower curved end extending under the rod 13 near theplate 11, as shown.

The spiral spring 18 is to enable the plate 11 to slide in as thedraw-heads of the meeting cars bump together, thereby preventing itsbeing broken or mashed, while the spiral spring 20 enables the plate 11to be drawn out' as the ends of the cars move apart for the length ofthe coupling-link after being coupled.

Having thus described my invention, whatl olaim,and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1..The combination of the rod pivot-ally supported at its inner end andcapable of vertical movement at its outer end, the angled plate 11,secured on the outer end of said rod, the horizontal levers 22, pivotedon the end of the car and having the slotted inner ends which engage theouter end of the rod 13, and the vertical lever 23, having the curvedlower end extending under the outer end of the rod 13, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination of the bearing-roll 17, pivoted at its ends andformed with the trans- Verse opening, the rod 13, passing through saidroll and through vertical slots in the crosspieces 16, the spiralsprings 18 20, arranged as specified, the angled plate 11, secured onthe outer end of the rod 13, the horizontal levers 22, pivoted. on theend of the car and hav ing the slotted inner ends which engage the outerend of the rod 13, and the vertical lever 23, having the curved lowerend extending under the outer end of the rod 13, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD A. MORROW.

\Vitnesses:

JAO UELIN E. HARVEY, 11. O. HARRISON.

